Miqati's Sources: Cabinet Rejects Working under Pressure of Wages Strike

Prime Minister Najib Miqati's circles challenged a planned strike by the Syndicate Coordination Committee, saying the government is not ready to work under the pressure of protests in its attempt to find funding sources for a new salary scale for public sector employees.

In remarks to An Nahar daily published Sunday, Miqati's sources said: “We hope the cabinet would complete (on Wednesday) the discussion of the rest of the funding sources articles.”

“Or else let the strike take place if the Syndicate Coordination Committee decided to go ahead with it,” they said.

“The government is not ready to work under the pressure of the strike particularly that the issue requires careful consideration,” the sources said.

On September 6, the cabinet approved the new wage scale ending a long dispute that had prompted the Syndicate Coordination Committee, a coalition of private and public school teachers and public sector employees, to hold several sit-ins and strikes.

The wages increase will be retroactive from July 1, 2012, but the salary adjustments would be paid in installments over a period of five years.

However, the procrastination of the government in finding sources to fund the new scale has led to more threats by the Committee to hold strikes.